I got a plate and scooped some scrambled eggs on to it, grabbed a piece of toast, two strips of bacon and a glass of orange juice.
I sipped at the freshly squeezed orange juice as I chose an empty area of one of the large tables. I sat down and Jonathon sat across from me. Mason sat down beside of me and Danny beside of Jonathon. Each held two heaping plates filled with food. Their stomachs astounded me. Maybe they were like cows and had four stomachs? One never knew.
The food was delicious, way better than the food at the pit stops we would make in random towns. This food was homemade. I felt like I hadn’t had a meal this good in a long time. I cleaned up my plate. I was blissfully full for the first time in days. Danny and Mason had shoveled their food down and then disappeared beyond the trees with Benji on their trail. Those three were up to something and I had to laugh to myself thinking that it was probably some elaborately genius prank to pull on Jonathon. Danny and Mason and for that matter Benji too could do things to make you hate them but you just couldn’t help but love them. They were irresistible and they knew it.
A full plate smacked onto the table next to my empty one making me jump.
Gosh, I really had to work on the jumpiness, I was going to give myself a heart attack.
A long legged body slid on to the bench next to me.
Isaac.
My forest green eyes met his Caribbean blue ones and he smiled. I couldn’t help but smile back.
Jonathon cleared his throat making both Isaac and me jump and our gazes to separate.
Isaac sipped some orange juice and wiped his mouth off on a napkin before turning to Jonathon.
“So,” Isaac began, “What’s the plan for today? Are you going to build a jail cell out of tree branches to keep her locked up in?” said Isaac.
Jonathon smirked, “Not quite. I just plan to have her with in my sight at all times or in the sight of someone I trust,” said Jonathon looking directly into Isaac’s eyes. I was amazed that Isaac could stand to meet his gaze. Most humans couldn’t directly meet a vampires’ stare.
Isaac flipped his head to the side to remove a stray piece of hair from his face before looking directly back at Jonathon, he held his fork in his right hand and used it to point at Jonathon when he asked, “Do you trust me?”
“No, I do not. You and your precious Coven have given me no reason to trust you. If you had done your job then Selena would be dead,” Jonathon spat coldly.
“How were we supposed to know about some stupid rouge vamp?” demanded Isaac; taken aback.
Jonathon’s expression was beyond monstrous. He stood up from the table in less than half a second so that he became a blur. If possible he had become even paler, if he got any paler he would be translucent, and like last night his eyes had become black with a ring of silver around them only this time out of anger not from passion.
“How were you supposed to know? You can’t be bloody serious! It’s your job to know! We shouldn’t have had to even call and tell your prized Coven that there was a rogue! It’s the Coven’s job to know! To put an end to abominations like Selena not let them happen! Your Coven should have killed her back in 1893! You’ve had a century to kill her! A century! And guess what she’s still out there and god only knows how many innocent people she has killed! How many unnecessary deaths have been caused at her hands! And yet she lives! She lives because of your Coven’s inability to do its job! You’re supposed to know!” he yelled; his nostrils flaring dangerously.
Isaac looked scared but resigned and confused. His eyebrows were knit together.
“You’re right, vamp,” Isaac said, continuing to point at Jonathon with his fork, and looking thoughtful.
Jonathon’s eyes melted back to silver and he sat down. I could tell he was still angry but he had calmed down significantly.
“So, you agree,” Jonathon said.
“It is strange that this Selena has been rouge for over a century and the Coven hasn’t killed her. As you said that is our job. She should have been hunted and killed long ago. There is something strange going on,” said Isaac taking a bite of scrambled eggs.
“I’m glad we are on the same page. Maybe I can trust you after all,” Jonathon said.
Isaac laughed, “I know you think that every member of the Coven is bad but that isn’t true. None of us asked for this just like you didn’t ask to be a vampire. Only some of us handle it better than others and I think the same thing goes for your kind as well,” Isaac said around a mouthful of toast.
Jonathon laughed finally easing away the lingering tension, “I just might come to like you,” he chuckled.
Isaac shrugged his shoulder and with a teasing smile said, “I doubt it. It might ruin my reputation if I start hanging with vamps. But I will do what I can to see why she hasn’t been stopped in the past and let you know what I dig up.”
“You do that, buddy, and get back to me,” Jonathon joked. I eyed the vampire and coven member. The love of my life and my friend. Could Jonathon and Isaac become friends? The idea was almost laughable. Almost.
“Oh, so we have pet names now do we,” Isaac looked thoughtful for a moment, “If I’m buddy I think I’ll call you buttercup.”
This procured a genuine laugh from Jonathon.
“Okay, buddy, I have some business to attend to. So, if you don’t mind keep an eye on her,” he said nodding his head towards me.
“Hello!” I said waving my hand in the air, “She is sitting right here so could you stop talking like I’m not here.”
Jonathon chuckled, “You always have a flair for the dramatics. Kylie, do you mind hanging out with Isaac for a bit while I’m gone? I’m sure you’d rather have his company than Gabriel’s.”
“You’ve got that right. Gabriel gives me the creeps,” I said shivering like I was cold.
Jonathon stood up from the table.
“I’ll be gone a couple of hours. And buddy, when I get back I expect her in one piece,” said Jonathon leaning down and giving me a quick kiss on the lips.
“Okay captain, oops, I mean buttercup,” said Isaac saluting him.
Jonathon’s back was to us now and I could see his shoulders shake with laughter. He threw his hand up in wave but did not turn around.
“So,” said Isaac turning towards me, “What do you want to do today?”
“I don’t know,” I said shrugging my shoulders, “What were you planning on doing today before you got assigned babysitter?”
Isaac put his index fingers together and against his mouth like a steeple and then pointed them at me, “What do you think about learning to fight.”
“Fight? As in punching and kicking?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said enthusiastically.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled to the table.
“Come on Ky, it’ll be fun. Plus, if you have some crazy vamp after you than you should know how to defend yourself,” he reasoned.
“You do have a point there,” I said.
“Let me finish eating and then we’ll head over to the fighting arena,” he said.
“Fighting? Arena?” I gulped.
“We have to train somewhere,” he said shoveling some more eggs into his mouth.
Oh dear, I thought, this can’t be good.
He finished his food and then piled the dirty plate with the others where a member of the Coven was cleaning them.
He sauntered forward expecting me to follow.
I did. After all, what choice did I have?
I stretched my legs to catch up with him.
“Do I really have to fight someone?” I asked, gulping.
He laughed, “Yeah, you do. Doesn’t your vamp think you should be able to protect yourself? If you were mine I’d be sure you knew how to defend yourself against an attack from the crazy vamp. So, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
“Will I get hurt?” I gulped.
“Probably,” He said stone faced.
“Sounds fantastic,” I said rolling my eyes.
; “You’ll be fine. You’re a born fighter; I just know it,” Isaac smirked.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.
The calm before the storm.
I followed Isaac a little ways into the woods. We didn’t walk as far as I had to get to the latrine but we looped around so that it felt like we were going in a circle. The woods thinned and cleared.
We were standing in a clearing much like the one where the camp was set up only this one was much smaller. It was the perfect size for a fighting arena. There were even logs stacked up at different heights like stadium seating.
Isaac and I walked to the logs and we sat down on the second row side by side. His leg brushed mine sending a shiver down my spine.
For a while we just sat in silence and watched the people in front of us dueling. And then recognition clicked in.
I leaned into Isaac, which wasn’t hard since we were practically in each other’s lap. “Is that your sister?” I whispered in his ear. He nodded.
I was amazed.
Isobel was wearing only a white tank top, basketball shorts, and tennis shoes. Her long dark brown hair flowed with her every movement.
Her opponent was a large burly male that appeared to be around twenty-five. He was tall and extremely muscular. His dark hair was closely shaved to his head.
He had strength on his side but Isobel had speed and she knew how to use it to her advantage.
She expertly dodged his punches and landed a few into him. She was quick and small and managed to hit him more than he hit her. He’d try and catch her around the neck and she’d duck out of the way just in time and punch him in the stomach. She was by far a much better fighter than he was. I could see her winning against a vampire. She seemed to move as fast as a vampire but I knew that wasn’t possible. She was quick but she wasn’t that quick. Her opponent tried to get his arms around her but she took a step back just in time to miss the crushing blow of his arms. She threw a kick that landed in his side. He was momentarily taken aback but then came to his senses as he tried to punch her in the kidney. He missed, hitting her arms instead, as she brought up her leg and managed to kick him in the back of his knees making him fall to the ground in a position as if to beg for mercy. He flopped onto his back, panting heavily.
“Match,” he breathed.
“Are you sure? I’m fine for another round,” she said grinning at the man that was three times bigger than her.
“Oh, I’m sure,” he said wiping sweat off his brow with his shirt showing off a well-defined stomach. She reached out a hand to haul up the burly man up. He took it graciously.
“Let’s go get you some ice,” she said rubbing at some quickly forming bruises around his face.
“Good idea,” he grunted grabbing at his side.
Isobel put her arm around him more in a friendly gesture than to hold him up but I noticed his tall figure slink onto hers for support. As she turned to escort the man back to camp she spotted me and Isaac. Her eyes narrowed at me and her black-brown hair stood on end. She looked like she wanted to hiss at me like a cat. I stared back unflinching. I had faced a sadistic vampire. I was not going to back down from the intense human gaze of Isobel Friedmont.
Isaac slowly clapped his hands, more mocking than anything.
Her gaze shifted to her brother who was sitting rather closely to my side, our legs touching. Her eyes narrowed even further to the point where I couldn’t see her bright blue eyes. It was as if she thought she could burn a hole straight through our touching legs.
“What are you doing here with her?” she ground through her teeth.
Isaac hopped down from the makeshift log bleacher to stand in front of his sister. He stood wide eyed and innocent.
“I’m going to teach Kylie how to fight,” he said with a look that said, ‘do you object’.
She just chuckled. Her laugh was a grating sound that irritated my ears.
“Good luck with that,” she said rolling her eyes and turning to leave, still supporting her opponent.
I climbed down off my perch, not quite as gracefully as Isaac had done, and joined him on the ground. His eyes blazed daggers into the back of his sister. I put my hand on his arm to break him of his spell.
“Is she always so pleasant?” I asked trying to make him laugh. It worked.
“Most of the time. I think she’s smiled maybe three times in her life,” he chuckled, “Apparently, I got all the nice qualities and she got the bad ones.”
It was my turn to laugh.
“I can’t argue you that. But you forgot something else,” I said gazing into his bright blue eyes.
“What is that?”
“You got the good looks so that’s probably where her mean personality comes from. She’s just jealous of your beauty,” I smiled at him.
Isaac grabbed his stomach in laughter. “That explains why she has always been so mean to me,” he said between bouts of hysterics.
Once the laughing stopped he looked seriously at me.
“Honestly though, she used to be the nicest person I knew. She was always trying to help someone even if she had to sacrifice something for herself. But then we came of age and had to join the Coven. She likes the power of being a part of the Coven but she doesn’t like taking Aleksei’s orders. She likes not feeling vulnerable but she hates the thought of only ever fighting vampires for the rest of her life. I can sympathize with not wanting to fight vampires your whole life. After all I only want to write songs and sing. But she’s just handling it the wrong way,” he sighed miserably.
“I’ve got news for you though Isaac, Isobel has never liked me, even before you joined the Coven,” I laughed.
“I can explain that too. You threaten her claim.”
“Her claim? To what?” I asked.
He blushed profusely. “To me,” he whispered.
“What!” I squealed shocked.
“I’m her brother. Her twin. She feels she has to look out for me. She thinks you’re not good enough for me,” he said kicking the dirt around at his feet.
“What do you mean?” I snapped even though I knew perfectly well what he meant. He blushed an even deeper shade of red.
“Well, she knows I fancy you and she thinks you’re not good enough for me,” he said squirming and looking down at the ground.
“Well you both know very well that I am in love with Jonathon. You and I are only friends and will only ever be friends. So, she needs to back off and mind her own business,” I snapped, sick of always having to be the nice person, but I knew I only said what I did to try and convince myself rather than him and his nosy sister.
“I know that,” he sighed, “but that doesn’t satisfy her because she knows that I still like you. Alright, enough of Isobel and her controlling behavior, let’s fight.”
“Oh, yippee,” I said rolling my eyes and joining him in the middle of the field. Luckily no one was around to see my shame.
I felt bad telling Isaac in so many words that I did not reciprocate his feelings because it was a lie. I was lying to say that I didn’t have feelings for him. I was not lying when I said to myself that I was unsure of my feelings. Do I love Isaac like a brother? A friend? Or a lover? I just don’t know and that’s a scary territory to cross. I can’t help but feel that if shut out all feelings of Isaac that this will go away but in fact I think it’s making whatever this feeling I have stronger. How can one have a soul mate and have feelings for another?
My thoughts were completely jumbled and incoherent as Isaac strapped protective padding on to my body.
“That ought to do it,” he said standing back up from securing the Velcro padding around my knee. His touch had sent shivers up my spine and I hoped he hadn’t noticed.
“Aren’t you going to wear any?” I asked stupidly.
“No, you’ll be lucky if you get a single punch in,” he grinned.
“Ha Ha, make fun of the weak, defenseless, human,” I sulked. “We can’t all be vampires or half angel.”
“Oh, joy. It’s been my wish all along to be covered in head to toe bruises to the point where I’m as purple as Barney,” I said throwing my hands in the air in dismay.
“Whose Barney?” he asked squinting down at me to avoid the glare of the sun.
“Never mind,” I mumbled.
“Alright, you want to stand like this,” he said demonstrating and I copied.
He showed me a couple of different stances before I interrupted.
“Isaac, if I’m going to be potentially fighting for my life against a vampire do you really think said vampire is going to wait for me to get into proper fighting position?” I asked.
He laughed clutching his stomach. “No, I guess not, but you have to start somewhere. Once you get the basics of proper fighting then we can run some fake scenarios. Maybe we can even get a vamp to help,” he said in excitement. He was getting way to in to this.
“That’s okay,” I mumbled. “I don’t really have a death wish.”
Isaac taught me how to throw a punch against a regular human and then how to throw one when fighting against a vampire. He showed me some kicks to use against a vampire and where my foot should land. Isaac said if you can land a punch or a kick against a vampire it’s best to hit in one of their weaker points otherwise you end up hurting yourself more than the vamp. They have three weak points, the neck, the heart cavity, and their sides.
After Isaac was sure that I had my punching and kicking skill down he became the vampire.
“You’re doing good, Ky, now I’m gonna test you,” he said taking a stance a distance away from me.
“Test me?” I gulped.
“Don’t worry you’ll be fine,” he said smiling.
Then he lunged at me.
My first instinct was to duck and curl into a ball and hope to roll away but I knew that wasn’t what he wanted. I brought my fists up and resisted the desperate urge to close my eyes and flinch from the oncoming impact.
Forbidden (Fallen Series Book 2) Page 14
